Four of 11 people arrested by police for alleged links to the Arakan Army (AA) were allowed to meet their families on August 8 at Ponnagyun township’s police station, U Maung Maung Than, a family member of detainees  told DMG.

The government has provided adequate assistance to the increasing number of IDPs in northern Arakan State, said Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U SoeAung.

A township court on August 7 fined members of Ya Kha Taw Win charity group for collecting donations without a permit from the authorities.

Relief aid groups have to submit applications to proper township administrators to raise funds in towns and villages, but authorities have delayed granting permits.

“Soldiers told us we were not allowed to go to these villages because of their superiors’ orders. By obstructing villagers to seek a safe and secure haven is a form of violating human rights because all citizens have a right to move where they please,”

The military troop took U Hla Maung, 35, the head of hundred households for Khapaw village and U Thauk Kyar Aung, 51, the head of ten households for the same village, to guide them to go to Mar Lar village, one mile from their village.

“Students fled from conflict zone are in need of educational access and they lack required documents and educational materials such as books. The main objective is for students to be able to pursue their education this year,” the lawmaker said.

Military troops have been positioned in Sat Yoe Kya creek for security after the AA’s attack on a Navy’s vessel that’s anchored in the creek near Kyay Daw village in July; this impacts local residents’ businesses in nearby villages. 

Eleven young villagers from Ponnagyun Township were detained by police on 27 July and eight of them have been interrogated in Ponnagyun Myoma police station after they were found being mobilized to join in the AA, the Tatmadaw announced. 

Some police have previously been positioned in the compound of the pagoda for security, the Tatmadaw troop has been there about a month, said Sayardaw Bhaddanta Thaw Pa Na, chair of Kyauktaw Township Sangha Nayaka Committee.

The continuing hostilities between the Tatmadaw and the AA have been intensified in Minbya Township, the number of refugees has reached 5000 at eight IDP camps.

Tatmadaw troops reportedly forced villagers who have been displaced by the fighting at a mountain range in Minbya Township to return home and obstructed their journey before they reached their respective homes.

A primary school teacher working in Pyin Chaung village, Buthidaung Township, has been detained by the Tatmadaw yesterday morning.

“We have to stop collecting funds at the moment because we have not been granted a permit to collect donations for IDP, said Daw Phyu Phyu Than, secretary of the Arakan Alin Daga Activists’ Group.

The Arakan Army denies the Tatmadaw’s claim that it seized a training camp of the AA located 2000 meters west of Chay Yar Daw village during regional clearance operations in Sittwe Township.

Fighting between the Tatmadaw and the AA in Arakan State recently broke out near Yangon-Sittwe road, which decreased the number of travelers, and this makes passenger buses and venders near bus stations face troubles to run their business.

Pyithu Hluttaw representative U Oo Tun Win asked in the Pyithu Hluttaw parliament session on 2 August if the Tatamadaw has a plan to return farmland to farmers in Kyauktaw Township.

The Ministry of Information should help to build a cinema in Arakan State’s capital Sittwe, Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Mruak-U constituency U Oo Hla Saw said in a parliament session.

It is a very worrying time for local residents because the Tatmadaw and the AA have currently fought fiercely on a daily basis in northern Arakan State.